Tension grips Gujarat town after stray shot kills boy

Ahmedabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Palanpur town of north Gujarat with communal overtones after a boy was killed accidentally in a firing Wednesday. The incident took place at Hasanpur village of Vadagam sub-district, 180 km from here, the police said.

Sachin Dalabhai Parmar, 7, was in the field taking his lunch in the afternoon when Osmanbhai Abdulbhai Sathia shot at a pig with his rifle, angry that the animal was moving freely in his field.

The bullet missed the fleeing pig but hit the boy who died on the spot, the police said, adding that Sathia, fearing reprisal, fled from the village and his whereabouts were still not known.

“Sathia had shot at the pig but unfortunately the bullet hit Sachin, killing him on the spot,” said district superintendent of police D.N. Patel.

The boy’s father Dalabhai Amritbhai Parmar and others later gathered at the Palanpur civil hospital.

Dalabhai refused his permission for a post-mortem unless the culprit was arrested.

The police were keeping a tight vigil at the restless mob and the atmosphere at the hospital was still surcharged.